Summary
In the world ofMy Hero Academia,most of the population has obtained fascinating superhuman abilities calledquirks, which allow them to do all sorts of incredible things, like flying, manipulating elements, transforming into animals, etc. Truth be told, quirks can be surprisingly complex and versatile, especially if they are wielded by a talented individual.
But not everyone can be so lucky, because some of these superpowers are oddly simpleand, thus, their users can’t do much with them. Nevertheless, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they are bad, because any smart and skilled person can put them to good use. There are a lot ofsimple quirksinMy Hero Academia, but the following are the most notorious examples in the entire series.
8Hellflame
Enji Todoroki (Endeavor)
Simplistic superpowers that allow their users to generate and manipulate a specific element are a staple of the superhero genre, andMy Hero Academiais no exception.There’s a fair share of Pro Heroes and villains that have control over an element, butEndeavorand his quirk,Hellflame, are undoubtedly the biggest standouts.
This quirk is very straightforward, as it allows Enji Todoroki to generate and manipulate flames of extreme temperatures that can incinerate any opponent that gets in his way. With such a simple power, Endeavor has been able to come up with some of the most destructive techniques in the series, like Flashfire Fist, Hell Spider, and Prominence Burn. This is no coincidence, though, because he spent his entire career training his quirk with one goal in mind: to surpass All Might and become the #1 Pro Hero.
7Hardening
Eijiro Kirishima (Red Riot)
All the members of U.A. High School’s Class 1-A have excellent quirks that allow them to enter the academy and learn how to become Pro Heroes, but some are less impressive than others. In the case of Eijiro Kirishima, hisHardeningquirk is quite simple, as it just gives him the power to harden any part of his body at will.
Needless to say, this is a superb defensive ability that also has some solid offensive uses, but there’s not much more to it.Kirishima’s impressive Ultimate Move, Unbreakable, allows him to reach the maximum level of hardening, which is useful, but it doesn’t last more than 40 seconds. He ultimately needed to hone his fighting and teamwork skills to become a worthy Pro Hero (and he succeeded).
6Gecko
Shuichi Iguchi (Spinner)
Mutant-Type quirks usually alter the appearance of their user, while also giving them some incredible animal abilities. For example, there’s Tsuyu Asui, who looks like a frog, but who can also do anything a frog can, or Gang Orca, who looks like an orca but who also has the incredible strength and ultrasonic radar of a killer whale. Unfortunately forShuichi Iguchi(AKASpinner) from the League of Villains, he got the short end of the stick in this regard.
His quirk,Gecko, makes him look like an anthropomorphic gecko lizard (without any apparent physical enhancements) and allows him to stick to walls and other vertical surfaces. In-universe, this is considered a very weak and insignificant quirk, which explains why Spinner has always resented it and ultimately needed All For One to give him additional quirks during the Final War Arc.
5Big Fist
Itsuka Kendo (Battle Fist)
As the class representative of Class 1-B,there’s no denying thatItsuka Kendois an excellent leader and a respectable Pro Hero, which makes it even weirder that she has such a simple quirk, especially when compared to her friend and rival, Momo Yaoyorozu.Big Fistdoes exactly what its name implies, as it allows Itsuka to enlarge his fists at any moment.
Needless to say, this quirk is perfect for hand-to-hand combat, which explains why she has dedicated herself to training her fighting skills. Nevertheless, Big Fist does have some interesting uses, like when Itsuka used her enlarged hands to generate strong gusts of wind that dissipated Mustard’s Gas. Additionally, if she punches an opponent and enlarges her fist at the very last minute, her attack can get a significant power boost.
4Poltergeist
Reiko Yanagi (Emily)
Despite its ghostly name,Poltergeistis a surprisingly straightforward quirk that allowsReiko Yanagito levitate and manipulate small objects from a distance. It’s basically a very simple form of telekinesis, and while she has been able to control a large amount of bolts and metal scraps at the same time, it also has a maximum limit of at least one regular person’s weight.
Regardless of its simplicity and obvious weaknesses, Poltergeist can still be a useful power to have, especially for rescuing civilians who are trapped under rubble. Furthermore, Reiko was clever enough to let Monoma copy it with his own quirkduring the Joint Training Battle against Class 1-A, allowing both of them to bombard their opponents with small objects at the same time.
3Attraction Of Small Objects
Inko Midoriya
As plain as it may be, Poltergeist at least gives Reiko the ability to control multiple objects at the same time, and it has allowed her to become a Pro Hero.Deku’s mother,Inko Midoriya, has a very similar quirk that’s a lot weaker, more uninteresting, and it’s calledAttraction of Small Objects.
As its unsubtle name reveals, this quirk allows Inko to attract very small objects (like a toy) to her, and that’s it. Truth be told, this may be useful for a stay-at-home wife who had to take care of an energetic child mostly by herself, so Inko must have given it some practical uses from time to time. It’s also important to note that, in the world ofMy Hero Academia, quirks can be exercised and evolved with enough training, so maybe Inko could increase the size of the items she can attract if she ever decides to train Attraction of Small Objects.
2Leap
Kazuho Haneyama (Pop☆Step)
This series is filled to the brim with different (but similar) quirks that allow their users to stay in the air for some time or maybe even fly, like Captain Celebrity’s Flight, Nana Shimura’s Float, or All For One’s Air Walk. However, the simplest and most mundane version of this classic superpower in the entire series isLeap, the quirk of the famous Naruhata vigilante/idol,Pop☆Step.
As its name implies, it allows her to jump high and traverse large distances, but she can’t stay in the air for a long amount of time, so she always needs to rest on a surface after a few minutes. Despite its simplicity,Pop☆Stephas effectively used Leap to travel through the Naruhata ward and escape the police whenever it is necessary, not to mention that it’s also a crucial part of her act when she’s performing as an idol, as it allows her to show off her costume and her dancing to her fans from a safe distance.
1Tail
Mashirao Ojiro (Tailman)
Curiously enough,Tailis considered a simple quirk within the universe ofMy Hero Academiabecause its user,Mashirao Ojiro, is also a very simple (albeit a bit boring) person. The only thing it does is grant him a prehensile tail that he can use to fight, jump, and swing around, and it can’t be erased by a power like Aizawa’s Erasure.
Against all odds, Ojiro managed to become quite a proficient and skilled martial artist by training his tail for many years, increasing its musculature and turning it into something akin to a third arm or leg. He’s the perfect example of the sentiment that a skilled and determined person can become a great hero, even if they were born with a very mundane quirk.
